Veteran Green Lantern Hal Jordan is on Earth with his new recruit, John Stewart, and they’re not chasing alien warlords. Instead, Hal drags John to the small town of Rushville, Nebraska, to investigate a murder he suspects has something otherworldly behind it. What they find is a dark mystery that reaches deep into the town and into both men’s pasts.
Created by Chris Mundy (Ozark), who serves as showrunner, alongside Damon Lindelof (Watchmen, The Leftovers) and comics writer Tom King, it stars Kyle Chandler as Hal and Aaron Pierre as John, with Kelly Macdonald, Garret Dillahunt, Poorna Jagannathan, Ulrich Thomsen and Nathan Fillion. All eight episodes are streaming now on HBO Max. Our verdict: a superbly acted, character-first crime drama that’s DC at its most grown-up, with a finale that plays it a little too safe.
A Buddy-Cop Show at Heart
The beating heart of Lanterns is its central pairing, and it’s terrific. Kyle Chandler plays an older, salt-and-pepper Hal Jordan as a charismatic, cocky veteran, with the kind of swagger one reviewer compared to Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark. Aaron Pierre‘s John Stewart is the perfect counterweight: guarded, intense and quietly formidable.
The show is at its best when the two share the screen, trading barbs, clashing over methods and slowly earning each other’s respect. One reviewer went as far as calling it the best John Stewart adaptation ever, better even than the comics, and Pierre has made a strong case that he’s the definitive version of the character.
Murder in Rushville
Think True Detective with power rings. The Rushville mystery unfolds slowly, built around the town’s influential Macon family and Kelly Macdonald’s pragmatic, F-bomb-dropping sheriff, Kerry Kane. Macdonald is excellent, and the supporting cast is stacked from top to bottom.
Hal Jordan, the legendary Lantern with decades on the job.
John Stewart, the new recruit with a lot to prove.
Sheriff Kerry Kane, Rushville’s no-nonsense law.
William “Will” Macon, of Rushville’s Macon family.
Zoe Macon, of Rushville’s Macon family.
Billy Macon, of Rushville’s Macon family.
Guy Gardner, Earth’s other Lantern, back from Superman.
Sinestro, a name every Green Lantern fan knows.
Where It Stumbles
Lanterns starts strong and stays good, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. One reviewer scored the first four episodes an 8 or 9 each, and the final two a 7.
Watch It or Skip It?
Watch It If…
- You love slow-burn crime dramas like True Detective or Ozark
- Great performances matter more to you than CGI battles
- You want a superhero show that feels grown-up
- You’re curious about John Stewart or the wider DCU
Skip It If…
- You want cosmic battles, ring constructs and space
- You’re a Hal Jordan purist
- Talky, slow-paced episodes test your patience
- You need a big, explosive finale
⚠️ Spoilers: the season 1 finale (click to reveal)
The off-screen twist is that Noah had freed Sinestro and forced him to forge a power source. John takes it, leaves Sinestro imprisoned, and makes it clear to Guy Gardner that he’s protecting Earth on his own terms. He then charges his ring with an oath of his own rather than the classic one. A holographic Hal gets one last, emotional goodbye.
For us, Hal’s death is earned and genuinely moving, and the oath fits John perfectly. But letting a killer walk and leaving Sinestro’s escape off-screen are the two choices that keep this finale from being great.
Things to Know
The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly
| The Good | The Bad | The Ugly |
|---|---|---|
| Chandler & PierreTwo superb leads with fantastic buddy-cop chemistry. | Scarce Lantern ActionFew constructs, little cosmic spectacle, and some awkward flying. | A Falling Audience ScoreFrom 89% to around 70%, the lowest in the DCU. |
| A Definitive John StewartArguably the best version of the character yet. | A Too-Tidy FinaleNo showdown, and some resolutions feel far too neat. | Off-Screen PlottingA crucial twist explained rather than shown. |
| A Gripping MysteryA grounded, adult crime drama with real small-town stakes. | Diminished LanternsHal and Guy sometimes shrink so John can grow. | Lore ChangesRedesigned Guardians and tweaks purists won’t forgive. |
| Kelly MacdonaldA standout in a stacked supporting cast. | Only 8 EpisodesOver just as it hits its stride. | — |
The Verdict
Lanterns is the boldest swing DC has taken on television in years. It trades cosmic spectacle for a small-town murder, explosions for conversations and power fantasy for character, and for most of its eight episodes, that gamble pays off handsomely. Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre are a joy together, and the show finally gives John Stewart the spotlight he deserves.
It’s not perfect. The finale wraps things up too politely, one key twist happens off-screen, and fans who wanted Green Lantern in space have every right to feel short-changed. But judged on its own terms, it’s a smart, superbly acted crime drama.
The honest read: if you like grown-up TV, watch it. If you only want ring-slinging space battles, this isn’t the Green Lantern show for you, but it might just win you over anyway.
For more reviews, check out our full reviews section.
